BATON ROUGE, La. — A controversial bill aimed at eliminating compensation for wrongfully convicted individuals in Louisiana has been shelved after facing fierce opposition from legal advocacy groups.
House Bill 673, introduced by state Rep. Nicholas Muscarello, R-Hammond, sought to repeal the state’s wrongful conviction compensation statute, which allows exonerated individuals to seek financial restitution for their time spent incarcerated. Had the bill passed, it would have stripped those who were wrongfully convicted of their right to compensation from the state.
Muscarello cited a rise in overturned convictions in Orleans Parish as the catalyst for the proposal, expressing concern over the increasing number of exonerations. “We thought we could work with a solution to the problem,” Muscarello said. However, after engaging with stakeholders and reviewing the proposal further, he acknowledged that the bill was too extreme and would harm the rights of wrongfully convicted individuals. “At the end of the day, I believe in fairness, no matter the situation,” Muscarello stated. “It would actually hurt the rights of people wrongfully convicted, and I didn’t feel it was a solution to the problem, which is why I chose to park the bill.”
The decision to withdraw the bill came after vocal criticism from groups like Innocence Project New Orleans, which argued that the proposal was not only unnecessary but also cruel. Meredith Angelson, deputy director of the Innocence Project New Orleans, condemned the bill, calling it a denial of crucial support for wrongfully convicted individuals. “This is money that people who are wrongfully convicted rely on to achieve some stability,” she said. “It’s critical resources for them, and we obviously oppose any change to that law.”
The National Registry of Exonerations reveals that Orleans Parish leads the nation in per capita exonerations, with 23 cases, or roughly 7.92 exonerations per 300,000 residents. Jefferson Parish ranks eighth with 12 exonerations, or 3.67 per 300,000. These numbers are attributed to dedicated units in the district attorney’s office in both parishes that review past convictions to determine their validity. Angelson explained that while not every individual exonerated is innocent, those who are wrongfully convicted and later exonerated deserve to be compensated for their suffering.
“The state has a moral obligation to support those who have been wrongfully convicted,” Angelson said. “We have to acknowledge that people have been victimized by the criminal justice system—convicted of crimes they didn’t commit—and that they deserve the opportunity to go through separate proceedings, prove their innocence, and receive something to make them whole for the years they’ve lost.”
While House Bill 673 is no longer moving forward, advocacy groups are now focusing their efforts on opposing another bill—House Bill 675—which would impose a two-year deadline for filing post-conviction petitions. This measure has raised concerns that it could limit the ability of wrongfully convicted individuals to present new evidence of their innocence, which may take years to uncover.
“We are most concerned that this does not shut the door on innocent people making their case in court,” Angelson said.
As the legislative session continues, it remains to be seen how the state of Louisiana will address the issues surrounding wrongful convictions and the rights of those who have been exonerated. Legal advocates continue to push for reforms that ensure justice for individuals who have been wrongfully imprisoned.